Apparatus for amalgamating ores



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. P. BOSS.

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING oRBs.

No. 248,568. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

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M. P. BOSS.

APPARATUS POR AMALGAMATING DRES. 10.248.568. Patented 001.. 25,1881.

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APPARATUS FOR AlVlALK'GAlViATlNG ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,568, dated October l25, 1881.y Application filed January29,1t380. l y I To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN I?. Boss, of Oakland, Alameda county, State of California, have invented an Improved Apparatus for Amalgamating Orcs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The main idea embodied in my invention is the amalgamation of the precious metals contained in ore pulp, by maintaining a circulation of mercury and pulp at one andthe same time, in such a manner that the mercury is filtered or leached through the pulp, and drawn oli' through one source, while the pulp passes by means of. other channels through other tanks for similar or different treatment.

Havingdevised appropriate apparatus for accomplishing this object, I find that said apparatus can be used in a more extended way for treatin g the pulp. In fact, the arrangement' is such that one or more processes can be carried on at the same time, and the circulation extended or restricted to a greater or less number of pans, thus giving the operator complete control over the pulp, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top view of the pans and troughs. Fig. 3 is a detail view ot' the pans and Quicksilver-cups.

The apparatus I arrange on benches in the usual way. On the upper bench I mount two or more hoppers, A A', which are connected together, so that the pulp which is admitted to one will overflow into the other. The pulp is introducedintothehopperAthroughatrough,B,and when this hopperis filled to the height of the dividin g-partition itoverliows into the hopper A. This latter hopper has also an overliow through the holes a c in its side, which are at about the same height as the top of the dividing-partition. The discharge o'r outlet through the lower end of each hopper is regulated by a cone-shaped plngforniedon the end oi' a screwrod, C, which passes through a cross-bar, D, and has a handwheel, E, at its top, so that by elevating the plug the size of the hole is increased. A trough, F, passes along below the disch argepassages of thehoppers, and extends out to one side, where two inclinedspouts, Gr G', lead from it. A conveyer-screw, H, is placed in this trough, and is rotated by power applied to a pulley on its end, so that the pulp is fed along by the screw.

On the next bench below a number of pans, I I I, are placed side by side, the two adjoining pans at the right-hand end of the 'series being placed so as to receive the pulp from the spouts G G. rIhese pans are all placed close together, and communication is established from one to the other by means of openingsj near their upper edges, so that they will overllow into each other. An inclined trough, K, extends along ouside the entire series near the tops of the pans, and each pan has an opening, l, leading from it into the trough at about the sarne level as the openingsj. The two adjoining pans at the left-hand end of the series have each an o verflowopenin g and spout,m,which discharges the pulp into a lower series of pans, hereinafter described. It will now be noticed that each pan has two overo'w-openings, one connecting it with the adjoining pan and the other with the trough K, which connects the entire series, so that by plugging up the openings in either pan it is cut out of the circulation without interfering with the operationof the remaining pans. The objectot' having two receiving and two discharge pans at each end of the series is to enable the feed to be shifted into one lor the other, as desired, in case one should become clogged or require repairs. A gate (not shown) will therefore be placed across the trough K it is desired to close.

On the next lower bench one or more larger pans, O O O, are placed. These pans are connected so as to overflow into each other in the same manner that the upper series of pans are connected, and a trongh,l?, connects their side overflows in the same way.

Each pan I has la discharge-tube, q, Fig. 3,- connecting with its bottom, which leads into a spout, It, and the spouts of each two adjoining pans I empty into the same pan O, as shown. Aquicksilver-cup, s,is placed on each discharge-tube q, into which the quicksilver will rise with the level of that in the pan through the orifice Q when the end of the tube is plugged. Inside of each cup is ashort tube, t, Figs. 2 and 3, the lower end of which con- IOO `cury in good condition.'

nects with a main tube, V, which extends along under the entire number of cups. The upper end of the tube t does not extend to the top of the cup, so that the quicksilver will overow into the upper end ofthe tube and be conducted into the main pipe V. This main pipe Iwillconnectwithaquicksilver-pump,bywhich the quicksilver will be raised and introduced into either or all of the pans, as desired, so as to produce a continuous circulation of the quicksilver. I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate this pump. Any one capable of performing the operation can be used. The object being merely to take the quicksilver from a low level and restore it to a high er one, any mechanism capable of effecting this object can be used with satisfactory results.

, The process will v then be as follows: The pulp being first introduced into the hopper A, the heavier part settles and the lighter part overflows into the hopper A', the lighter part of the latter portion runnin goti' through the holes a a. 4The cone-plug being properly regulated, the pulp falls into'the trough F, and is conveyed by the screwH to the spoutsGr, down whichit passes into the pan I. It then overflows from pan to pan until all are filled, the current being stron g enough to prevent it from settling. In one or more of these pans I supply a constant stream of mercury, which filters through the pulp, amalgamating the metals, and, passing down, rises in the quicksilvercup until it overflows into the circulatin g-pi pe thence it is drawn by a pump in the usual Way, and introduced into the pan or pans again, thusgivu'g a continuous circulation of mercury through the pulp, and keeping the mer'- By this means I amalgamate the particles, so that they will either be saved in the amalgam or caughtrin the concentrator, through which the pulp is nally passed.

The quicksilver used in the process will sink onall occasions by reason of its great relative weight, and will find its way into thepipe V ultimately, whereit is submitted to the action of the pump, or is otherwise elevated and restoredrto the pans containing the pulp.

If desired, one or more of the pans can be cut out of the circuit ,after they are filled by plugging the passages', as above described, and

' axis in the pans are to support the mullers.

Having thus described my invention, what I elaim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. The combination, with the hopper A A and the trough F, having the feeding-screwH `and the right-angled-arranged spouts G G', ot'

the seriesofpansI, connected together by pipes j, and having a common trough, K, connected thereto by pipes l, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

y 2. The pan I, having the discharge-pipe q, provided with an orilice, q', in combination with the cup s, having an overflow-tube, t, reaching down through its bottom and emptying into the trough or pipeV, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. An apparatus for treating ore pulp, consisting of the hoppers A A', trough F, with its conveyer-screw H and spouts Gr G', the connected series of pans I, with their overflows jl and trough K, and having the dischargetubes q, the quicksilver-cups s, with the overflow-pipes t, and the main pipe V, and the lower setof settling-pans, O, connected by overflows, as described, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as above specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand-and seal.

MARTIN P. BOSS. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

. W. F. CLARK,

EDWARD E. OsBoRN. 

